Ferrari too conservative to win against Verstappen: Top 3 reactions in Austria
The unexpected victory of Max Verstappen and the podium finishes of the two Ferraris marked the thrilling 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. A look back at the reactions of the top three finishers at the Red Bull Ring.
Taking advantage of the virtual safety car following Valtteri Bottas’s retirement, Max Verstappen skillfully managed his tire degradation to achieve his first victory of the year.
The Red Bull driver did not expect as much on a track that did not seem favorable to the Austrian team: « It was very hard to manage the tires, we had to manage them in many places, but we held on until the end. It’s incredible to win here at the Red Bull Ring, with so many Dutch fans as well. I needed to catch up in the championship. It’s a very good day for me; I hope we can continue like this. It was harder than it looked because I had to manage the tires and it wasn’t easy. Kimi was three or four tenths faster at one point, and there was traffic, so we had to avoid losing time. I’m thrilled to win at the Red Bull Ring, especially since it was unexpected. It makes it even sweeter. » the winner shared in the press conference.
Could Kimi Räikkönen have hoped for better? With his excellent start between the two Mercedes, the Ferrari driver then missed his braking at the second corner before finally climbing back during the race to finish just a few seconds behind Verstappen: « I had to slow down a bit at the first corner because we were tight together and my decision was already to go there, I was afraid we would touch. After that, I went wide and lost a few places. But the car was good. We missed a few laps but I think we took it too easily. It’s a shame. We had a good car today and on one side it was a bit difficult but I think it’s a good result for the team. »
His teammate Sebastian Vettel was also not fully satisfied with his third place, despite the fact that it allowed him to retake the lead in the drivers’ world championship by one point: « It would have been nice to start further up front. I tried to recover places at the first corner but in the end, I had nowhere to go, same at turn 3. So I had to fight with the Haas and the Renaults at the start of the race. I had to make the best of it. It’s a positive day even though it could have been better. It’s a well-deserved victory for Max », concluded the German.
